


Swim until you can't see land

by mckirk



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Injury, Leonard McCoy - Freeform, Physical Abuse, Teen Angst, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-28
Updated: 2014-05-25
Packaged: 2018-01-17 08:40:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 13
Words: 5,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1381123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mckirk/pseuds/mckirk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every night was the same. Leonard McCoy would arrive home from school, place his bag neatly beside the coat rack, remove his shoes, sneak upstairs and bar the door to his room with the wardrobe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Writing this was just a spur of the moment thing, It's likely that i'll update if it gets a decent response. :) Updated the title!
> 
> >>>IF YOU LIKE REMEMBER TO LEAVE A KUDOS, SUBSCRIBE, BOOKMARKS OR LEAVE A COMMENT! I WILL ALWAYS REPLY TO EVERY COMMENT, WHETHER IT IS A CRITICISM, AN IDEA OR JUST IF YOU ENJOYED IT OR NOT.
> 
>  
> 
> It's a work in progress! :)

The bell rang to signal the end of last period and the class erupted into chatter, conversing about what they intended to do once they arrived home. Leonard had always preferred school, in contrast to practically every student in his year, Leonard would peer at the clock and hope it hadn't moved, hope he'd never have to hear the final bell tone of the day. Home was not a sanctuary, a release from the pressure of school and a place to relax. Home was fear, and pain, and barring himself in his room every night to avoid the wrath of his father, who returned home late every night, pickled in alcohol and swinging his fists blindly.

The bell toned again and Leonard kicked himself into gear, packing his books into his bag and zipping it tightly before swinging it over his shoulder. The class poured out of the door in a wave of ecstasy and Leonard trailed behind, peering at the floor. School was only a few minutes away from his home and the walk was never as long as he'd like it to be.

He couldn't get any help, he didn't want to, and no-one would offer it. He didn't need help. His mother would just watch and obey and condone, he didn't need her either. He didn't need anybody. But he needed someone, y'know? Someone to make it better. Someone who's place he could stay in if it got too bad, someone to share his problems with. But he didn't have anybody.

Sometimes he thought about moving out, travelling to a different place, blowing away in the wind. He couldn't. He didn't have the facilities, the money, the bravery. He was here because he was born into the wrong family. His father didn't love him, his mother didn't notice him, and he wanted them both in a hole in the ground, he wouldn't care if he got home and they were both lying on the kitchen floor, dead. At least his fear would be gone, and he could spill himself into a different life.  
Stepping into his house was as if he was stepping into a different world, the atmosphere just sunk into him. Any flecks of happiness he'd had from the day dissolved and he was sad once again, it was if everything was a muted grey and the outside world was opulent and glowing, like a prison cell with a window.

He placed his bag down beside the coat rack, it was torn at the shoulder and a little scuffed up, the other kids in the class laughed behind his back about it, he could tell. No one would buy him a new one, no one who was supposed to noticed. Within a minute he had escaped to his room, closed the door gently and pushed the corner of his wardrobe in front on the handle so no one could get in. Leonard vowed to keep his window open at all times, even if it displeased his family. It was like a vent, letting in the fresh air and releasing some of the bad feelings. An escape route, although it only opened a few centimeters, not nearly enough for anyone to get in and out, but he liked to think of it that way.

At 9:00pm the banging started. It was heavy and constant and angry, a fist pounding against the wood of his bedroom door.

"Let me in here, I told you to not fucking keep your door closed, and now you've locked me out? fucking atrocious."

The sound of his dads voice used to send shivers down his back but he wasn't bothered any more. He couldn't remember a time when he received anything other than abuse and threats from his father, but he could remember when his mother used to stick up for him, so he didn't hate her quite as much.

"You'll have to leave for school in the morning, you can't stay in there forever, then you're really gonna be sorry, y'hear me?"


	2. Chapter 2

He appeared like a spark in the darkness, a little burst of light, illuminating an exit from this place.

Getting to school would have been a task that morning, but Leonard wasn't stupid. He woke up at 6:00am and sneaked out before it had started to get light. There was a train station (long abandoned) a few minutes away from his house. When things got too much, or it was getting too dangerous, he would walk there early, sit over the edge of the platform and stare at the buildings around him, monolithic council blocks and little estates of identical houses. He'd thought he was the only one who went there, but that morning, a bit further down the platform, he saw another boy, sat at one of the waiting chairs. 

It was quite apparent that this boy hadn't seen him, and he didn't intend on meeting anyone new that morning, so he slipped down onto the old tracks and sat against the side of the platform.

It was just always so quiet, miles away from anything he really cared about. It was a place to think, a place to cry, and a place to do his homework. 

Leonard checked his watch and grunted a little, 9:30am, he'd been sat there for 3 and a half hours. School started at 9:00am. He pulled himself up off of the tracks and made his way to school, neglecting the fact that he would be almost an hour late when he arrived.

A voice boomed across the classroom, "Why are you late, Mr McCoy?"

"I was, My dad's car broke down, I had to walk." a little chuckle from the class. Leonard sat down and pulled off his bag. A few minutes had passed until he realized that the boy he saw at the train station was sat next to him. When he turned to the left, he jumped, and the boy laughed.

"Hi, I'm Jim, I'm new, and I'm tired."

"I'm Leonard, I guess."

The boy, Jim, chuckled, "You guess? do you go by other names?"

"You're pretty confident. You don't even know me."

"If people never spoke to people they didn't know, how would anyone know anyone?"

Leonard paused for a second and chuckled, "I guess you have a point."


	3. Chapter 3

Another day, another final tone of the bell, another walk to the train station.

In Leonard's experience, when had new kids ever wanted to be around him? They'd always drift away into other groups, and he (once again) melted away, but this time felt different. He'd seen the guy at the train station, so he must have been exploring, and he had reasons to sit down and ponder whatever, so maybe he was like Leonard? Or maybe he was tired and wanted to rest. That was the problem, when could you ever decide if anyone was like you, if everyone who was like you didn't want anyone to know about it? He had felt so alone, sat at the train stay day by day, peering around and seeing nobody. I guess he visited the train station for exactly that purpose, silence and no judgement, but he sort of yearned for company. Maybe this guy would come back? 

It was early December, winter was sneaking in and the nights were getting darker and colder, but Leonard still visited the train station. Heck, he'd sometimes sleep there if things got too bad, it was a hell of a lot safer than his home, the prison cell.

"Why is the wearing the same clothes as yesterday?" they said, laughing, "That must make, what, one week."

Leonard traced down the school corridors and neared his locker, by which the boy he had met was standing. He almost said something, until he noticed that the boy, Jim, was searching around in his locker, next to Leonard's. 

Leonard approached and unlocked his locker as he normally would have done.

"Hey, you again." 

"This, is my locker." Leonard replied.

"And this is mine."

Leonard paused for a second and continued to rummage around for his lunch.

"Hey, join me for lunch, its not like there's anyone else I can hang around with." Jim patted Leonard's shoulder, who flinched a little.

"...sure."

Jim followed Leonard, and they approached the food court. 

"Shit, it's full."

Leonard turned around and nodded a bit, "as usual. Don't worry, there are other places."

"OK, I'll come, but promise you won't molest me."

And Leonard laughed.

When was the last time he'd laughed? when was the last time he'd felt comfortable enough around anyone to laugh? It was funny, he guessed, that the person he resided in had to be a new kid who was weird and had streaky blonde hair.


	4. Chapter 4

They found a part of the courtyard and sat down on one of the memorial benches the school had, arranged in a little circle around a bed of flowers. Most of the students were gathered around the food court, spilling out of the doors and sitting around the tables, but there were a few people, Jim and Leonard included, who were scattered around outside.  
Jim drew out a paper bag and placed it on the arm of the bench.

"So, where did you move from?"

"Iowa," Jim said, retrieving a tin foil lump from the bag and unwrapping it, "I actually moved a few weeks ago, but I've only started school this week."

"Why the hell would you move to Georgia?"

Jim paused for a moment,"I don't know, I think my mum got a new job or some shit like that. I forgot how annoying moving house was."

"What about your dad, did he have to quit his job or something?"

"That'd be weird because he's been dead for like 17 years."

Leonard pursed his lips a little, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"It's OK, how the hell were you supposed to know? and it's not like I ever knew him so it's just the same as you having both your parents, I can't miss someone I've never met."

"Yeah well, my parents are absolute shitheads."

Jim laughed and bit into his sandwich, "all parents are shitheads, that's life. Next year we won't have to cope with them anymore, after graduation."

Leonard stopped and basked in the thought for a second. No parents. He didn't have to live at home for his entire life, did he? The moment he left would be the moment he started to live, at least, live happily. 

"Thank fuck."

The dinner bell rang through the courtyard and everyone began to swarm back inside, like little baby ducks after their mother.

"I guess lunchtimes over, that was fucking quick."

"Yeah well it took us about half an hour to find a damn place to eat."

Jim laughed and they strolled back inside.


	5. Chapter 5

Days passed and Leonard saw Jim almost every day, whether it was in class, on the school field or in the courtyard, but it was only ever in school, at home (he thought) would never be an option.

"When you first started at school," Leonard interrupted Jim, who was babbling on about something or other, "I saw you the night after, at the old train station."

"Oh, I thought I was the only one there, just exploring, it seemed like a pretty cool place."

"It is, quiet."

Jim took a huge bite out of his sandwich,"Makes a difference to this shithole doesn't it." 

"Ew, don't talk with your mouth full, that's gross, you're gross." Jim punched Leonard on the arm and continued,

"How did you see me there, anyway? Pretty sure I didn't see you."

Leonard paused for a second, trying his hardest to not sound at all creepy, "Well, I was there before you came, and when I saw you I kind of ducked on to the train tracks and hid for a while, I didn't want to meet anyone new at the time."

"Well you did a crap job at that didn't you." Jim laughed.

It wasn't a prolonged conversation, and they quickly returned to talking about what was on television and the shit teenagers talk about.

~

 

That afternoon, the final bell of the day toned and Leonard was feeling strangely happy, he wasn't scared. Things were coasting along at school with Jim by his side, and whether it was because he was at the train station or keeping to himself in his room, he hadn't seen much of his dad. The walk home was, as usual, rather fast, and he found himself at the front door to his house. Something smelt off. Something unpercievable. I guess it wasn't actually a smell, but it was such a strong feeling that he could only picture it ramming itself up his nose like a foul odor. After entering the house, Leonard dropped his bag in shock. His dad was in the Kitchen, holding a bottle of alcohol in one hand, and his mothers shirt collar in the other, he was babbling shit and she just lay there, crying.

He wasn't going to take this anymore. He wasn't going to live with this shit. Life was looking up and his dad had no fucking right to drag him back into despair. This wasn't going to happen anymore.

"Get the FUCK off of her!"


	6. Chapter 6

"What are you going to do about it, you little shit?"

Leonard was shivering with anger, "Want to come and see."

Leonard's father drew closer and laughed, "You can't do anything."

"Either you get out right now, or you might see what happens when you hurt my family."

A moment of silence. He could hear the blood bubbling around in his ears and he clenched his fists by his side, "Get out."

A long laugh ensued, "And how well do you think things would go if i left this pile of shit? You need me."

Leonard paused, "We'd get by."

His dad was fuming like a caged bull, "I brought you into this world, I can take you back out of it again."

Leonard's mum was still sobbing on the floor, a little trickle of blood from her nose had pooled on the floor.

"You deluded bastard. Ever since I was born, probably before that, you've made my life, mum's life, hell. You think we need you? You really fucking think we need you?"

His dad had fell silent for a moment, panting a little, wet-faced. He made a swing for Leonard, who ducked and fell against the wall, quickly regaining his balance,

"That's it."

Leonard channeled every beating, every swear, every night spent alone in his room, every feeling of inadequacy, every speck of jealousy towards other families, every fucking threat and every action into one mighty swing and he felt his dad's nose crack behind his knuckles. The big homewrecker fell against the door frame and cracked his head, bleeding into the carpet.

"I didn't want it to come to this."

Leonard's dad groaned on the floor.

"Now maybe you didn't hear me, get the fuck out."

He was gone within the minute.

~

"We're, he's gone?" Leonard's mum was still dizzy from the nosebleed, he propped her up on one of the dining room chairs and claimed the one next to her, "Yes, he's gone."

She burst into tears and laughed a little, "I don't know how to feel."

"I'm pretty sure I know how I feel." Leonard gasped a bit, "relieved."

"It's been 17 years since you were born, Leonard. This is the first time I've felt, happy."

"That makes two of us."


	7. Chapter 7

Jim patted Leonard on the shoulder and chuckled, "You look a bit worn out today." 

Leonard drew his pencil case from under the table and huffed, "It's been a long weekend."

"Family issues?"

"Of sorts, yeah."

"Well brighten up, lesson's over."

The bell toned to signal break time and the class began to rustle, Jim and Leonard finding themselves behind a sea of students heading to the courtyard.

"Look, it's lady and the tramp."

Leonard turned around and saw three boys from his class, lazing around on a bench and whispering to each other. Jim turned around and groaned, "And what are you little cunts laughing at?"

"Are you and Leonard like, together or something, Lovers."

"Oh yeah, and do you shitheads have a threesome in the toilets every lunchtime?"

They fumbled about trying to respond but ended up speaking over each other, "Fuck off."

Jim laughed, "Happily."

It took them a few minutes to find a place to eat, and by then break time was all but over.

~

Leonard headed to the train station after school, it had been a while since he last went and (although there were no longer any issues at home) he missed the silence. Rather than go home himself, Jim decided to follow.

"Why do you visit this dump?" Jim laughed.

"Why did you visit this dump when you first came to school?"

"Exploring, I guess if you look past all the litter it's pretty cool."

"Yep, I've been coming here for ages, it's quiet and stuff. Got the whole place to myself."

Jim threw a rock and it skittered along the tracks, "Do those guys bother you a lot."

Leonard looked up, "Huh?"

"The guys at school that decided to be smart at break."

"Nah, they pick fun at everyone a few times, just something you gotta live with."

"I hate pricks like that."

"Everyone hates pricks like that."

"I don't see why people have to be so god damn mean all the time, like, where is the need?"

Leonard huffed, "Approval. Everyone wants to look good in front of their friends, even if that means they have to make someone else look stupid in front of theirs."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is just like a reaaaaallllyyy short chapter, could probably even call it an extra paragraph for my last chapter but I wanted to update, however short it ended up being! :)

Leonard had trouble sleeping that night, he writhed and twisted until his covers were a little ball about his feet. It was like a black hole was opening out inside his stomach, a miasma of guilt and loneliness and jealousy. He realized that unlike every other kid in his school, he had never actually been fortunate enough to have a positive male role model, a father figure.

Although he was glad his father had left, Leonard still yearned for a real dad, the type that would take you fishing, help you with your homework, play baseball. The type that existed in movies, his own imagination, and the houses of everyone else but him. You'd have thought that after being deprived of such a luxury for his entire existence, a need for it would not arise, but every child needs at least one strong parent. Leonard had an absent, abusive father and a recovering, introvert, fearful mother.

Jim had helped, and he was still helping. Having someone to talk to (even if it wasn't about the things that really gnawed at him) was always a good thing, and being able to bestow complete trust into that person made the bud even sweeter, but Leonard couldn't fully trust anyone, and (thanks to his father) he knew that he probably wouldn't ever be able to.


	9. Chapter 9

Leonard's life, right now, was operating on a series of pick-me-ups. Whenever bad feelings crept in, he could push them out and think of his present situation- He didn't have to deal with his dad anymore (he hoped), his mum was recovering and looked happy for the first time in living memory, and his friendship with Jim was blooming.

They would meet at the train station after school every day, share stories and eat shit food and laugh. It was their little vista, no one else ever went there, it was if they owned a little part of the city, absent of all things negative.

Jim cheered and sat back in one of the waiting chairs, which was slightly rusted but still stable, "School holidays tomorrow, two weeks of freedom!"

Leonard laughed, "Don't you mean revision?"

"Nah, I'll just wing it, it's worked so far."

"Yeah, how is it you get full marks in every damn exam you take and don't do shit for it? I bet you're cheating."

Jim tapped the side of his head and bragged, "I guess I'm just naturally clever, you on the other hand."

Leonard jabbed Jim's side with his hand and he jumped a little, laughing, "Oy, I'm not that stupid, I got an A in my last maths exam."

"Wow, did you have to retake it after? that's pretty bad."

"Oh, fuck off. You must be cheating, you have to be cheating somehow."

"That's what all the people who aren't as good as me say to make themselves feel better."

"I'm ten times as good as you at Biology," Leonard paused for a second, "bet you a five dollars I can score higher than you in the exam."

"Why don't we make it interesting, ten dollars says you can't."

Leonard knew he probably wouldn't win the bet, but that didn't matter, things like that weren't important, "It's on." and they shook hands sarcastically.

~

Leonard's alarm clock droned, a hollow, repetitive buzz that always got on his nerves, which was why it was so effective at waking him up. 7:00am. He'd forgot to turn off his school alarm and after he'd woke up, it was a pointless task to try and fall asleep again. After dressing, he trudged downstairs and heard a little clanging from the kitchen. His mum, donning an apron, was monitoring a pan full of bacon and attempting to prise open a can of beans.

"You going to eat all that yourself, Mum?"

She froze and turned around slightly, "you know your dad has his breakfast early, I can't still be making it when he gets up."

Leonard stopped and his stomach turned for a second, "Mum, you know he's gone, he's not coming..."

Before Leonard could finish his sentence she collapsed in a bundle and began to cry, "He can't be gone," her throat caught a little, "He'll never be gone, really. He'll never be gone, He'll never be gone and he'll want his breakfast. What if he comes back, and I haven't made it for him?"

Leonard caught his mother and rubbed her back, feeling her body shudder every few seconds as she breathed, "He isn't coming back, and if he comes back he'll wish he didn't. He's not going to hurt you, he won't ever hurt you, or me, again, he's gone for good, okay?"

And as the bacon burnt and set off the smoke alarm, they lay in a bundle on the floor, and Leonard knew that this wasn't just something they could forget in a day or two.


	10. Chapter 10

It was an uphill climb, but at least they were moving. Years of fear, depression, pain, and they were finally going somewhere, moving out of the darkness and into the pale air of the city. 

School holidays were looming, and Leonard wasn't worried about spending time at his own home for the first time in his life, but that didn't seem to be what was going to happen.

Jim poked Leonard on the arm, "Didn't get much sleep last night?"

"I don't get much sleep any night."

"Yeah well maybe if you didn't go on your computer until like 3.a.m. then you might be able to!"

"Fuck off, it's you I'm taking to until 3.a.m."

Jim laughed and put his pencil down, "Hey, my parents are out for the weekend and I've been thinking about having a little get together at my house, like a sleepover, wanna come?"

Leonard paused for a second, "Who else is coming?"

"Oh yeah," Jim laughed, "Like I have so many other friends to invite."

"So, just me and you then?"

"Well, I know this girl, Uhura, she's coming along too."

Leonard agreed, "Yeah, she's good company, only ever spoke to her a few times though."

"It's a deal then."

Leonard's mum was fine with him staying over at Jim's for a night. She was recovering and she needed time for herself, he figured, she didn't seem too bothered by it, which was a good sign.


	11. Chapter 11

Leonard didn't have a lot to pack for the night, which he found slightly embarrassing, but it meant that his bag wouldn't be too heavy, so it wasn't too bad. He planned to bring his sleeping bag (Jim hadn't actually cleared up where Leonard or Uhura were going to sleep) a fresh set of clothes for the day after, a packet of sweets, because not bringing sweets to a sleepover was like going to meet the president naked (he guessed), and a flashlight, just because.

He arrived at Jim's house around 8:00pm. The door was quite nice- varnished, white and tall, ordinary, good. He ringed the bell and heard a shrill buzz echo through the house, followed by a muffled voice and the clomping of feet. Jim opened the door and smiled, "You're here, you're late!"

"You told me to come at 8:00pm, It's like, exactly 8:00pm."

"I'm joking, come in." Jim laughed.

Leonard gasped a little upon entering. The house was large, larger than his, and it was all perfectly decorated, colour-coded and dusted.

"Nice house."

"Thanks, my grandparents used to own it, and now it's ours."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I guess."

"About what?" Jim looked at Leonard quizzically. 

"...your grandparents."

"What about them? They bought a home in Spain, y'know, for holidays and stuff, and they decided to live there permanently about 2 months ago, but they didn't want to sell this old place, so it's our now."

"Oh," Leonard laughed, letting out his breath a little.

Jim lead him upstairs into the living room, it was a few doors down and just as big as he expected it to be, and there was a girl sat on the far end of the sofa,

"Leonard, Uhura, Uhura, Leonard."

The Girl, Uhura, smiled, "Hi Leonard, did you know Jim's house was this fucking big?"

Jim writhed, and Leonard chuckled a little, "Nope, but now I do I'm going to claim it as my own."

Uhura giggled, "So, how did you and Jim meet?"

Leonard blushed, "What, no, we're only friends, I think, I know, we're only friends. Friends."

she laughed a little, "What, I mean how did you become friends."

Leonard breathed out and rubbed his forehead, straining a laugh, "Oh, um, we sit next to each other in maths, he didn't know anybody, and I didn't like anybody."


	12. Chapter 12

"That was a shitty movie, there was clearly enough space on that door thing for Jack." Uhura droned.

Jim grimaced, "No, because obviously if he had went on as well it would have tipped over and they'd both be dead."

"Well," Leonard laughed, "they could have took turns, then they'd both be alive."

"Or Jack could have swam off and found another thing to float on, like, there was literally a whole ship worth of debris."

Uhura twisted her hair in her fingers, "What's next?"

"Well, Pizza, and a game."

"I swear to god if this pizza has olives on it i'm gonna kill you both and eat your corpses, it'd be tastier than olives."

"Ew, you're safe, no-one likes olives."

Leonard raised his hand, "I kinda like olives."

"You're dead to me." Uhura laughed.

"What's the game, then?"

"Well, my dear friend, have you ever heard of truth and dare?"

~

Jim peeled a slice of pepperoni pizza from the box and slapped it onto his plate, "Dare!"

Uhura pulled a sinister smile, "You idiot, no one chooses dares." 

"You obviously don't know me very well."

"Ok, you know that old train station, we're going down there, and we're going inside the old waiting rooms."

"Are you kidding, it's like, midnight."

"Aww," she laughed and puckered a little, "scared?"

"Ok then, let's go down there, now."

"Don't worry, me and Leonard can fight off the ghosts."

"You know, normal people would just ask me to eat a spoon of cinnamon or something."

"Do we look normal to you?"

"No, and I love you guys for it, so I'm willing to let the pizzas go cold for this, let's go."

~

The night was beginning to darken and a thin layer of mist settled around the platform and the tracks.

Jim laughed a little, "Mist, it's like we're in a horror movie."

They were a few yards away from the inside waiting area and Jim took the lead, he was walking confidently but Leonard knew he was scared out of his mind. They arrived at the door and Jim peered through the window, it was glazed and dirty and scratched, but you could still see inside, sort of. He stepped back and stumbled, "There's someone in there."

Leonard's stomach folded a little, "Let's have a look." 

He pressed his face against the glass, it was still light enough to make out a lump in the corner of the room, slung across one of the waiting chairs. The mass rolled over and writhed a little, and Leonard's heart stopped dead. His whole body felt like ice, "We need to go, now."

"What," Uhura laughed,"Why?"

"Because my dad's in there."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like leaving a little update, as much as I could write in the time I had free.

Leonard leaned back and swiveled around on his heels, breaking into a walk that was plagued with little shudders, "We can't stay here."

Jim grabbed Leonard by the shoulders and steadied him, "Wait, hold up. Why do we have to leave because that's your dad, and why is your dad actually lounging about in an abandoned train station?"

He broke free from Jim's grasp and carried on walking, peering back to see if they'd follow, "It's a long story, I can tell you when we get back, it's too long to tell you right here, we have to go, that's it."

Uhura and Jim glanced at Leonard, faces spattered with shock and confusion, but they followed reluctantly, tracing behind him and shooting panicked looks at each other. It was a few minutes before they arrived back at Jim's house, by which time they were huffing and glazed with little beads of sweat. Leonard heaved himself up the staircase and into Jim's bedroom, falling down onto his bed. He buried his head in his palms and tensed up.

Jim eased himself into his room, "Leonard, seriously, what's going on?"

"I can't, I thought he'd gone away."

"Leonard, we don't know what you're talking about, and it doesn't sound all to good."

Uhura fluttered about in the doorway, "I don't get this, is it OK for me to be here right now? This seems pretty vast."

Leonard groaned from the corner of the room, "It's fine, I'm OK."

Jim edged closer to Leonard and placed his hand on his back, "It's obvious you're not OK mate, you don't have to tell us anything."

Uhura mumbled, "although a little elaboration might be nice, y'know."

Leonard raised his head a touch, "You deserve to know, I'm not a total lunatic."

Jim laughed a little to relieve the tension, although it wasn't too successful an attempt, "We didn't think you were."

"Yeah," Leonard clogged up a little, cleared his throat, and continued, "my dad left me and my mum a few days back, we weren't on the best of terms, he wasn't exactly a nice guy."

Jim peered at him sympathetically,"There are a lot of mean people around Leonard." 

"I mean, he was the type of person you wouldn't want as a dad. He was drunk more often that he was sober, and even when he hadn't put a brewery out of business he was still a royal pain, and not in the, 'my dad's really annoying I hate him' kind of way."

"I, why didn't you tell me?"

Leonard wheezed out a sob, " Because It only got bad a few days ago, I came home from school and he was in the kitchen, and my Mum was on the floor, and she was hurt, and she didn't do it to herself, and it wasn't the first time."

Jim's eyes widened slightly, "I'm sorry, this must be really hard for you to speak about to us, like, we're only your school friends."

Uhura spoke quietly, "You really should have told someone Leonard, we would have understood, you could have gotten help."

Leonard laughed a little, "I couldn't have, because I had nowhere else to go. I'm sorry, It's just, it was like Prison, there wasn't any escape, there isn't anything you can do when your worst nightmare is there to greet you every time you step into your own home, and when it's not only you who's on the hook, but you're Mum too."


End file.
